Just as the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, thousands descended on Washington, on either side of the abortion issue. While pro-abortion protesters are angry, chanting that the court is “illegitimate” and saying they will work to overturn the decision, pro-life protesters are celebrating the historic ruling and saying their work to support expecting mothers in crisis and end abortion, completely, has just begun.
A young North Carolina woman named Georgia Lucas, a member of Students For Life, said when she first heard the news, she felt “pure joy and excitement.” “The work is just beginning [and] it just means that we need to stand by these women and empower them and support those moms and babies in crisis pregnancies,” Lucas told The Epoch Times.
The crowd outside the Supreme Court consisted mainly of young adults in their twenties, with the pro-abortion side being larger and yelling: “This decision must not stand. Legal abortion on demand”; and the pro-life side chanting: “Stand up, fight back.”
A young woman named Lili Galante said she is angry and in disbelief after hearing the news.
“This decision was made by an illegitimate court, and the war on women continues and I don’t want to see what comes next,” said Galante. She added that, next for her, she will be “donating to abortion funds, supporting Congress-people who are pro-choice and pro-abortion—unapologetically on-demand and affordable.”
Given the protests outside the conservative justices’ homes, the targeting of pro-life facilities, and an attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s life in the days between the leaked decision on May 2 and the final decision, more violence is expected.
Lucas said that, although there may be violence, “hopefully, we just pray that God’s in control and he'll protect us.”
Norvilia Etienne, a young black woman and a leader with a pro-life organization, said she is especially excited for the black community.
“I’m so excited for the black community, who has been annihilated by this decision for the past 50 years, and I’m excited for the black nuclear family to come back [and] that black communities will grow. I’m excited that people of all races will be increased in this country,” said Etienne.
Abortion is the civil rights issue of our time, she added.
Meanwhile, John Johnson, a tech professional and father of three daughters, said he is very angry about the court’s decision and is concerned that women, including his daughters, cannot “choose” to have an abortion if they want one.
“I’m here for the woman’s right to choose. Yes, I have three daughters and I think they have the right to choose,” said Johnson.
Johnson said he is afraid that “they’re going to be arresting women and charging them with murder for having abortions.”
The largest pro-life organization, Students For Life of America, had a few hundred members present at the Supreme Court, and Anna Lulis, its digital engagement strategist, told The Epoch Times that the decision is a huge victory for human rights.
“Since 1973, when Roe v. Wade was decided ... over 63 million lives have been lost to abortion, and those are stats provided by a pro-abortion institute,” said Lulis.
Reiterating Etienne’s point, Lulis said her organization has a lot of work ahead to educate pro-abortion supporters about the truth about abortions.
Lulis said that while they expect about half of the states to ban most forms of abortion, the other half “could push more radical pro-abortion laws, and what we would like to do is go into those communities, promote pro-life resources, but also educate people on the issue of abortion.” She added that once people understand what abortion really does, they support limits.
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